Adjustable drawbar for trailer couplings



Sept. 14, 1948. A. PARTIN 2,449,315

ADJUSTABLE DRAW BAR FOR TRAILER COUPLINGS Filed April '8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- I11 z'autor Albert Parfin W W I Sept, M, 1948. A. PARTIN 2,449,315

ADJUSTABLE DRAW BAR FOR TRAILER COUPLINGS Filed April' 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Albert Pariin Patented Sept. 14, 1948 l seADJUST-ABLE DRAWBARQRQRJHlB/AIUER .lflOUPLmGs The" above and =otherobjects may he-attained "e byemploying this invention which embodies among 'its features a longitudinallyandlaterally adjustable frame adapted to be fi-xed' to the front and rear-axles of a tract-ion vehicle -beneath'ithe chassis thereof, a tow bar mounted -on"the frame at its rear end and a trailer coupling fixed to the tow bar intermediate its ends.

Other features include -attaching mean by which the frame may -bet -=leasily and quickly coupled to the front and reantaxlestof the traction vehicle.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan viewriofathe front *anchterear 3 "axles of a' traction vehicleshowin thiszim mved frame coupled thereto;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear end view or the vehicle axles showing the draw bar in place thereon;

Figure 4 is a front end view of the device;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 1-1 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 1;

Figure 9 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially along the line 9-9 of Figure l; and

Figure 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line III-l0 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail this improved draw bar designated generally I0 comprises a cross bar I l to which is pivoted adjacent each end, as at I2, the forward end of a telescopic side bar l3. Each side bar l3 comprises a tubular member I4 into the forward end of which the forward portion of the bar telescopes as will be readily understood upon reference to Figures 1, 2 and 10 saddlev memberf l l cam u es a el biis ace j 5 which will be more fully hereinafter explained.

.L'Eachltubular portion 1,4 "ofeach side bar-ispro- :ivided-on its upperside-intermediate its'ends with asaddle l1;11n o1wh h;th axle hou lna flroicthe rearlaxle of; the Nebula is adapted to, ,filLj" Each parmm o he-curvatu e f iilthea e housi g).

' land. iormedzatlthe lower end or each "13W"! 9-11 a moat: iiiwhichtiszadapted t re taor'iith pn-surisziaeeii ft l'fifipfi i ive tub ht'IPQrl m "1l ?f:= a sidebar.7;.Onening1thmi eh he.; nd Oteechtm l iremote: fron'il its-respective javv mernber t-[Szgls alongitudinel 51cm; .ierjzthe reception ,of 'clanip- 1i dn'gibnltsl 23r'dwlflch are. roiectedthmfiehs q 2omeanin siniwtheatu ii rlmemberslto whichiiath a saddle. .31 I vial-attached. l'gi'lhe; b'oltli; Hgprpjects uttthrlcushglthediam membe lainspaced; paral .lnelationitoltha feet. 2,l,;rthe e,0f. and yntu fili Atheinut: onithetbolt the-Jaw membersrnayhe gad- 25 l-vancedttewerd @9113 anot r 1 into dereseculi lvr to ciiciamngthe raxlelheufii gi-l l8 ain,IDIaCB-ITRKDJQQHIE laterally from each jaw member", on eachside thereof is a shoulder 25 provided in its upper end with an internally screw threaded bolt receiving opening for-the reception of an attaching bolt 26 for a clamp member 21. As illustrated in Figure 5 the upper end of each clamp member 21 is provided with an upwardly extending ear 28 for the reception of a, tie bolt 29' which serves,

36 to draw the upper ends of the clamp members 21 together in order tightly to clamp the axle housing in the saddle.

Attached, as by inverted U-bolts 3|], to the front axle 3| of the traction vehicle is a rearwardly extending tongue 32 which is provided with a longitudinally extending row of spaced openings 33 for the reception of a coupling bolt 34 which is projected through the cross bar ll midway be tween opposite ends, and through one of the openings 33 in order to effect a coupling between the forward end of the draw bar I 0 and the front axle 3i. Carried by the forward end l3 of each side bar is an upwardly extending pivot pin 35 which projects upwardly through a longitudinal slot 36 formed adjacent each end of a stabilizing bar 31, which extends transversely between side bars of the frame In and is provided midway be-- tween opposite ends with an opening for the reception of an attaching bolt 38 which is projected through one of the openings 33 to th rear of the cross bar II as will be readily understood upon reference to Figure 1. Extending transversely between the rear tubular portions M of the side bars is a spreader bar 39 which is provided adjacent each end with a longitudinal row of spaced openings 40 for the reception of coupling bolts 4| which are projected through the rear tubular portions I4 of the side bars near their rear ends, and through a selected opening 40 50 as to hold the side bars in various adjusted positions.

vehicle from strain.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this A tow bar designated generally 42 comprises an;

elongated solid body 43 provided intermediate its endsowith an opening 44 through which is coupled,

one element of a conventional trailer couplingl Formed in the body 43 adjacent each end isvay longitudinal slot 45 for the reception ofthe upwardly extending arm l5 previously described;

Formed in each side wall of each slot 45 is a Ion-- gitudinal row of spaced aligning openings 45 for the reception of bolts 41 which are adapted to be i iprojectedlthrough theiopenin'gstlfi'and'th'e openings 461m order adjustably to hold the tow wbar in proper position on the arms [5. v

Inuse, thetonguejl32 is coupled to the front axle3l by means of the U-bolts3il and the cross bar H is then connected at the desired point to the tongue by projecting the bolts 34 through a selected opening 33'. The stabilizer baris then coupled to the tongue by projectin the bolt 1-28 v through the opening midway between opposite "ends thereof and through a selected opening in the tongue 32 after which theside bars are ad justed laterally to the desired position and longitudinally to place the saddles ll into proper position' about the rear axle housing It. Thesaddles v are clamped into proper position on the axle housing l8 by turning the nuts on thebolts 2 after which the clamp members Zlare tightened into place'se'curely'to grip the axlehousin l8 and suspend th erframe I 0 between the axles 3| 2 and I8. The spreader bar is then coupled in place byprojecting" the bolts 4| through selected openings and securely clamping the parts together. Afterthus having suspended the frame I gitudinal adjustment to the tongue-in spaced parinvention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. What is claimed as new is:

A draw bar for a trailer coupling comprising a tongue fixed to the front axle of a traction vehicle, a cross bar secured to the tongue in spaced relation to the front axle, for adjustment longitudinally thereof, a stabilizer bar securedfor 1onallel relation to th e cross bar, an extensible side bar pivoted adjacent its forward end to the cross bar adjacent each end thereof, each side bar beingcoupled through a pin and slot connection to the stabilizer bar, said side bars extending longitudinally of the traction vehicle in a plane below the rear axle thereof, means coupling each side bar to the rear axle of the traction vehicle,-

a-spreader bar extending between the side bars y near theirrear ends, a vertical arm projecting 1 upwardly from the rear end of each-side bar, a tow bar mounted for vertical adjustment on the vertical arms and a trailer coupling fixed to the Number on the axles, the tow bar 42 is mounted on the upstanding arms l5and the bolts 41 are passed tow bar intermediate its ends. a t. 7 ALBERT PARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED 4 Thefollowing references are of record in the file of-this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS -'Name "Date 1,476,647 I Rumsky' Q Dec; 4, 1923 2,205, 151 w June l8,1940 

